Ok so i'm obviously still living in the dark ages and don't have a 'smartphone'.....my phone makes calls and texts and thats pretty much it, i know..shocking!

Anyway decided to get with the times and buy a more up to date phone.

Now i really don't need something like an iphone, nor can i afford one, i basically just want a phone thats good for internet use(which is really the only reason i want to buy a new phone anyway) has a decent camera and has basic apps eand stuff. So yeh, i just want recommendations on what might be best for me within budget (certainly less than £150 maybe even less that £100 if poss)

Thanks

i've just got my first smartphone, the htc wildfire. it specs arent as great as say a desire or wave. but its a great all round phone. and i got it for £15 a month, 100 minutes, unlimited texts and internet.

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/pay-a...rve-8520-payg/

Blackberry Curve
£150, comes with 6 months free internet.

I've been considering that but then someone told me that the interent can be slow cus it's not 3G? I have no real clue about all this stuff but if a phone having 3G means the inernet would run faster, and can get one within budget, then i'd rather go with that option.

I'm on the internet all the time and it's not an issue. It runs fine on GRPS/EDGE not really a need for 3G.

Even youtube streams ok

There may not be a need for 3G, but buying a handset when you state you want to use the internet on it without 3G is like buying a cycle to do a 50 mile commute each day because you don't need a car. Both will do the same job, but 3G is quicker.

Modern websites are more bandwidth intensive. A 3G connection is preferable because you won't have to wait as long for your data to download.

Also consider that if you want a decent internet experience that Blackberry are somewhat lagging. They are widely recognised to be outdated when it comes to browsing. Email and business type features are great, Blackberry does this well, but if you want to use the internet for webpages you're better to look at the more recent offerings on Android, Symbian or iOS.

I have a Blackberry provided to me by work and I have an HTC Desire as my own phone. The difference between the two is huge. I tried browsing on my work handset because it's all free, but it's pointless. Web pages are crap on Blackberry compared to how the Desire serves them up. My Desire often gets used more than my laptop because it's that good and it's so convenient. The Blackberry would never get close to that.

Many smartphones are free on contract. If you're thinking of a contract then look at what you can get free. Many of the top smartphones are free on 18-24 month contracts (even the new HTC Desire HD which is coming out this month is free on 18 month contracts and is tipped to be one of the top smartphones of the year).

I'd rather have a PAYG just bcuase contract for me is pointles simply cus i won't use it that much for calls and texts, i'll use it mainly for social networking and inernet on the go. So why would i pay £20 a month for so many texts and so much call time when i'll use hardly any of it?

Really i just want a fairly cheap phone that is good for the internet, judging by whats just been said, definately 3G.

What about the San Fransisco? It's only £99 and i've read some reviews and apparently it's really good value for money and has alot of the features and capability of more expensive devices?

I just don't want to go contract or pay over the odds when it's not needed.

I would also recommend, if it has not been done so already that you make sure your phone is capable of wifi too.

The Orange San Francisco looks promising but then you are locked to Orange, O2 offer the new Sony X8 which ticks all the boxes and Vodafone do the HTC Wildfire for £140. CPW do an unlocked LG Optimus.

I am in the same position as you and spoiled for choice.

My Nokia 5530 (great wifi while roaming abroad) has simply stopped making calls and switches itself off. Its back for repair and I am using an od £4.99 phone. Its quite refreshing just to simply talk or text!

The Orange SanFran can be unlocked for between £2 and £5. And de-branding the firmware takes (literally) around 2 minutes. I was shocked at just how easy it is.

WiFi, 3mp cam, GPS, digital compass, 3G/HSDPA, comes with a 2gig memory card. The screen is absolutely stunning, regardless of price.

I had a Nokia 5230, which isn't a bad phone at all, but this ZTE Blade/SanFran absolutely kicks it into touch.